Veteran television journalist Anderson Cooper announced Monday his departure from CBS’s long-running newsmagazine ’60 Minutes’ after nearly two decades, citing his desire to spend more quality time with his young children.
Cooper, who has simultaneously worked for both CBS and CNN since 2006, will continue hosting his nightly program ‘Anderson Cooper 360′ on CNN while wrapping up his remaining commitments to ’60 Minutes’ through the current season, which concludes in May.
The correspondent made his announcement during a period of internal challenges at the prestigious Sunday evening news program. Cooper’s most recent appearance was this past Sunday, where he presented a segment featuring documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.
‘Being a correspondent at ’60 Minutes’ has been one of the great honors of my career,’ Cooper stated. ‘I got to tell amazing stories, and work with some of the best producers, editors and camera crew in the business. For nearly 20 years, I’ve been able to balance my jobs and CNN and CBS, but I have little kids now and I want to spend as much time with them as possible, while they still want to spend time with me.’
Cooper’s departure coincides with ongoing tensions within the newsroom under the leadership of Bari Weiss, who became CBS News editor-in-chief last fall. The timing has sparked speculation about potential connections between his exit and recent editorial decisions at the network.
The journalist began contributing to ’60 Minutes’ during the 2006-2007 season through an unusual arrangement that allowed him to maintain his primary role at CNN, where his evening show has aired since 2003.
CBS News released a statement acknowledging Cooper’s contributions over the past two decades. ‘We’re grateful to him for dedicating so much of his life to this broadcast, and understand the importance of spending more time with family,’ the network said. ”60 Minutes’ will be here if he ever wants to return.’
The newsmagazine has faced recent controversies, including a December incident where leadership postponed a report from correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi about immigration policies from the previous Trump administration. Network executives requested additional efforts to secure interviews with administration officials, though Alfonsi reportedly viewed the decision as politically motivated. The piece eventually aired one month later with supplementary comments but no on-camera interviews.
Additionally, the program became entangled in legal action when former President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit over the handling of an interview with 2024 election candidate Kamala Harris. CBS’s parent company Paramount Global ultimately reached an out-of-court settlement with Trump, causing frustration among some staff members.
The online news outlet Breaker initially broke the story of Cooper’s departure from CBS.
